GOV CH-3

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GOV CH-3

True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.

Ours is a government of laws, not men.

In America the group (community) is more important than the individual.

The Constitution is what the Supreme Court says it is.

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Today the Constitution serves as

a.	plan of government	c.	an outline of the ideals of American government
b.	supreme law of the land	d.	all of the above.

Which is NOT a role of the Constitution today?

a.	It tells us what our rights are	c.	It describes how the ideals of American government should be achieved
b.	gives unlimited authority to the government	d.	It is the supreme law of the land.

Which is NOT true about the Constitution?

a.	It is relatively brief, having only about 7000 words.	c.	It gives a general framework rather than specific details of government.
b.	It has not been changed since it was ratified.	d.	It has seven articles.

Article I of the Constitution establishes

a.	rights of the people.	c.	purposes of the Constitution and American government.
b.	national and state governments.	d.	legislative branch of government.

Article III of the Constitution establishes

a.	the Bill of Rights.	c.	the system of election.
b.	the states.	d.	the judicial branch of government

The process of amending the Constitution is set up in

a.	Article II	c.	Article V.
b.	Article III	d.	Article VII.

10.

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are generally called the

a.	Preamble	c.	Civil War Amendments
b.	Bill of Rights	d.	American Creed

11.

Under a limited government, all citizens must live according to

a.	civil rights	c.	the rule of law
b.	popular sovereignty	d.	equal protection

12.

The constitutional principle that the people are the source of any power given to the government is called

a.	limited government	c.	separation of powers
b.	popular sovereignty	d.	federalism

13.

The constitutional principle by which the powers of government are divided into three branches is called

a.	separation of powers	c.	representative democracy
b.	popular sovereignty	d.	federalism

14.

A president's veto of a bill passed by Congress best illustrates the principle of

a.	federalism	c.	checks and balances
b.	separation of powers	d.	commerce clause

15.

What did the founders do to prevent the govrnment from becoming too powerful?

a.	The eliminated checks and balances	c.	They called for a special session of Congress
b.	They separated the powers of the government	d.	They developed the principle of executive privilege

16.

Which is the BEST example of a judicial check on the Congress?

a.	declaring a law unconstitutional	c.	granting a writ of certiorari
b.	writing a minority opinion of the court	d.	reconsidering a controversial decision

17.

What is one way that Congress has a check on the president's authority?

a.	The Senate must approve of Supreme Court nominees	c.	The Congress can declare any presidential action unconstitutional
b.	The House must administer any presidential order.	d.	None of the above

18.

What would be the best example of a Supreme Court check on the Congress?

a.	The Supreme Court can override a congressional veto.	c.	The Supreme Court can carry out laws without congressional approval
b.	The Supreme Court can ignore legislation under the writ of mandamus	d.	The Supreme Court can declare congressional legislation unconstitutiona

19.

When a law is declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court,

a.	Congress may override the decision by a two-thirds vote of both houses	c.	the president must concur with the court for the law to be invalid
b.	the law is null and void	d.	the Congress must amend the Constitution

20.

The case of Marbury v. Madison is important because it established the constitutional precedent of

a.	national supremacy	c.	judicial review
b.	civil rights	d.	executive privilege

21.

The Constitution's guarantee of freedom of religion and speech best illustrates the constitutional principle of

a.	federalism	c.	limited government
b.	popular sovereignty	d.	checks and balances

22.

Which constitutional principle is better illustrated when the Senate rejects a presidential nominee for the Supreme Court?

a.	separation of powers	c.	judicial review
b.	checks and balances	d.	limited government

23.

The person most responsible for drafting the Bill of Rights was

a.	James Madison	c.	Thomas Jefferson
b.	John Adams	d.	Benjamin Franklin

24.

The part of the Constitution that sets out the basic guarantees of freedom and fair treatment by the government is found in

a.	the Preamble	c.	the Bill of Rights
b.	Article III	d.	the Articles of Ratification

25.

Formal amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by

a.	an executive order of the President, ratified by the Senate	c.	a resolution passed by Congress and signed by the president
b.	a resolution passed by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress.	d.	a National Convention, called by Congress at the request of three quarters of the states

26.

Twenty-five of the twenty-six constitutional amendments have been ratified by

a.	three-fourths of the state legislatures	c.	special conventions called for that purpose in three-fourths of the states
b.	a three-fourths vote of a National Convention, elected for that purpose	d.	referendums in two-thirds of the states.

27.

Which is NOT a significant reason for the adoption of so few suggested constitutional amendments?

a.	It is very difficult to get the support necessary in three-fourths of the states	c.	Competing social, economic and political interests make it difficult to command the broad support necessary to ratify an amendment
b.	The constitutional requirements for a two-thirds vote of both houses of' Congress is very difficult to achieve.	d.	Only 33 have been suggested

28.

Which is NOT one of the methods in which the Constitution has been informally "amended" or changed?

a.	Congressional law-making	c.	popular referendums
b.	presidential actions	d.	political parties

29.

An example of how presidents can informally amend the Constitution by their actions is

a.	nominating a new member of the Supreme Court	c.	submitting treaties to the Senate for ratification
b.	the use of executive agreements	d.	signing a bill into law

30.

An order issued by a court to force a government to do something is called a

a.	writ of habeas corpus	c.	writ of mandamus
b.	bill of attainder	d.	writ of certiorari

31.

Which would NOT be considered a primary source?

a.	an autobiography	c.	a newspaper editorial
b.	a court record	d.	a government textbook

32.

Which primary source would probably be more accurate and reliable?

a.	photograph	c.	political cartoon
b.	personal journal	d.	letter

33.

As commander in chief of the armed forces under the Constitution, which president sent American forces into conflict without a declaration of war by Congress?

a.	Franklin D. Roosevelt	c.	J. Edgar Hoover
b.	Lyndon B. Johnson	d.	none of the above

34.

An introductory statement to an official document that usually explains the document's goals and purposes.

a.	appendix	c.	preamble
b.	table of contents	d.	preface

35.

Contained in Article VI of the Constitution, the _____ orders that federal laws and legitimate, constitutional federal actions preempt state and local laws and actions when there is a conflict between the two. According to Article VI, the main law of the land comprises the Constitution, the national government if it acts constitutionally, and all treaties. The clause helped shift the United States from a loose confederation of states to a more centralized federal system

a.	supremacy clause	c.	equal protection clause
b.	preamble	d.	Bill of Rights

36.

Written changes or additions to a law or body of laws, such as the United States Constitution.

a.	Article V	c.	Writ of Mandamus
b.	amendments	d.	email

37.

A basic principle of government that accompanies constitutional supremacy which states that government shall be carried out according to established law, and that both those who govern and those who are governed will be bound by this law

a.	democracy	c.	republicanism
b.	federalism	d.	rule of law

38.

The arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power by an oppressive individual or government

a.	democracy	c.	federalism
b.	communism	d.	tyranny

39.

Based on the separation of government power into executive, legislative, and judicial branches, the _____ of government was devised by President James Madison (1809-17). He created the plan in response to early fears that the federal government would become tyrannical, reasoning that if the powers were separate, no one of them would be able to dominate the others. The whole system was, and still is, regulated by checks and balances.

a.	Madisonian model	c.	Dolly Madison plan
b.	Jeffersonian model	d.	The Anti-Federalism Madison plan

40.

Part of a system designed to limit a government's power by mandating that the power be balanced among all the government's different institutions. Each of these institutions has specific areas of control over activities of the other institutions to make sure that no one of them becomes tyrannical.

a.	checks and balances	c.	Confederation
b.	Anti-Federalism	d.	Democracy

41.

The Constitution requires that the president must see every bill passed by both houses of Congress before it becomes law. The president has the power to _____, or disapprove, any of these bills. If two-thirds or more of the membership of each house votes against the veto, they can override the president's decision.

a.	verify	c.	veto
b.	certify	d.	filibuster

42.

_____ is a power of the courts to decide whether federal and state laws or acts by the executive and legislative branches are constitutional. Is one way to change the Constitution and adapt it to modern situations.

a.	writ of Mandamus	c.	judicial veto
b.	judicial review	d.	Amending

43.

Contrary to constitutional provisions and so invalid.

a.	unconstitutional	c.	veto
b.	constitutional	d.	impeachment

44.

A _____ of government (federalism) is one in which the constitution divides power between a central government and regional governments, such as those in states. Each level of government has constitutional guarantees that its power is dominant within certain domains, but in general the levels share formal authority over the same territory and citizens.

a.	federation	c.	federal system
b.	confederation	d.	constitutional form

45.

A _____ is a writ issued by a superior court that mandates or directs a specified course of action to be taken by an inferior court or other officer of the state

a.	writ of appeal	c.	ceriorie
b.	writ of ex post facto	d.	mandamus

46.

To rescind or do away with legislation.

a.	cash	c.	modify
b.	impeach	d.	repeal

47.

The _____ is a provision of the Constitution that came about through the 1824 Supreme Court case of Gibbons v. Ogden. The court's decision helped create the basis for a national economy in which business could occur freely among the states. However, the clause put power over interstate commerce completely in the federal government's hands and forbade states to impose tariffs or taxes on their own exports.

a.	NAFTA	c.	commerce clause
b.	tariff clause	d.	business clause

48.

A/An _____ agreement is an international agreement reached between the president and the head of another nation without obtaining senatorial approval.

a.	executive	c.	Senatorial
b.	congressional	d.	judicial

49.

A _____ is a group of advisers appointed by the president. In the United States, members are called "secretaries." They are the heads of the federal government's executive departments.

a.	cell	c.	cabinet
b.	caucus	d.	"round table"

50.

The period of time during which a public official holds office.

a.	lame duck	c.	session
b.	tenure	d.	semester